For the second time in a row, Alpenwelt Karwendel has to cancel the Mittenwald Christmas market.
The organizers see no other option.
Mittenwald
- You went through all the scenarios. Several times. A Christmas market in the Puit with a cordon? Access only for vaccinated and corona convalescents? Or divide the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle into small "hut groups"? Here are the stands with food, there are other stands with handicrafts at a safe distance and alcohol is prohibited everywhere? Or distribute all the stations individually across the site? Patrick Wagner and his team really racked their brains about how to save the Christmas market (December 16-19) in Mittenwald at a time when the incidence values are skyrocketing. Conclusion: "Unfortunately we have to cancel the market again."
The uncertainty about which measures the government could take in the next few weeks is too great.
As of November 18th, an open-air event with up to 1000 visitors would even be possible - at least in theory.
But the experience of the past weeks and months has shown Wagner how quickly the infection process and the means against it can change.
“We don't want to ask the stand operators to do that,” says Wagner.
They also need a certain lead time.
"We can't just say two weeks in advance: Ok, now we're going to blow off."
A month ago the organizers were in good spirits
Therefore the decision has now been finally made. A month ago those responsible for the Alpenwelt were still in good spirits. The market should take place without a large tam-tam. Then three weeks ago the disillusionment. In the entire district, the places began to cancel their events little by little. “We have been closely monitoring the situation,” says Wagner. So far, only the hut magic takes place in Garmisch. The booths are there individually distributed throughout the center.
This variant was also played through in Mittenwald. "But that is no longer logistically possible." The rustic wooden huts that make up the Christmas market in the Isar valley are tailored precisely to Ballenhausgasse and the church forecourt. “All the holes for the cables, lines, etc. are tailor-made for their permanent location.” Simply tearing them apart and distributing them in place is not that easy to implement. Permits are also required. Each stand operator would then have to be responsible for ensuring that the required measures are implemented. Wagner especially does not want to expect this from the volunteers. The time window until December 16 is no longer sufficient. Especially since all the work could be completely in vain if the government does issue a ban, declare a lockdown,Imposing curfews or initiating a ban on alcohol.
The flair would have suffered from an alternative solution
Then there is the thing with the atmosphere.
It is not without reason that National Geographic magazine has awarded the Christmas market in Mittenwald several times in a row as one of the most beautiful in all of Germany.
“It's also about the flair,” says Wagner.
It wouldn’t be so charming in any other place.
So after the 2020 cancellation, it's time to bite the bullet again.
A step that hurts Mittenwald's mayor Enrico Corongiu (SPD).
“It hurts the clubs,” he says with regret.
Once again, the income is missing.
"We were still in such good spirits in the summer," he recalls.
The number of corona cases was low, it seemed as if Germany was slowly recovering from the pandemic.
The fact that it is now returning with such great force surprises those in charge - including Enrico Corongiu: "I think it's a very, very sad."
